U.S. District Judge Dan Polster of Clevland, Ohio is overseeing 200 opioid cases, according to USAToday.

"About 150 Americans are going to die today, just today, while we're meeting," he informed the parties in January of 2018. "And in my humble opinion, everyone shares some of the responsibility, and no one has done enough to abate it."

He expressed his desire to put a stop to over-prescription of opioids by explaining his objective, "[We need] to do something meaningful to abate this crisis and to do it in 2018. I'm confident we can do something to dramatically reduce the number of opioids that are being disseminated, manufactured, and distributed. Just dramatically reduce the quantity and makes sure that the pills that are manufactured and distributed go to the right people and no one else."

In 2017, an estimated 250 cities, several counties, and states sued opioid manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors. Lawsuits accuse makers and marketers of advertising the drug as "rarely addictive" and "a safe substitute for non-addictive pain medications," USAToday reports.

However, opioid manufacturers are denying these allegations.

Purdue--a manufacturer undergoing a lawsuit--made this statement regarding opioids: "There is no evidence that addiction is a significant issue when persons are given opioids for pain control."

On October 16 of 2017, Trump admitted the overprescription of opioids was a growing issue that needed to be addressed.

Richard C. Ausness, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Stites and Hardison Professor of Law of University of Kentucky has conducted research about the opioid crisis, "may be increasing public concern and thereby putting pressure on state and local officials to do something about it."